For reasons of health, any swimming pool of considerable size is usually provided with apparatus for chlorinating the water in the pool. When applied in proper quantities, the chlorine kills objectionable bacteria, and will not be harmful to those swimming in the pool. If the ratio of the chlorine to the water in the pool is too low, the pollution count may rise to objectionable levels; and on the other hand, if the ratio of the chlorine to the water is too high, it may have an adverse effect upon the health of the swimmers.
Heretofore a number of different devices have been developed for supplying chlorine to swimming pools to replenish, for example, the chlorine lost by evaporation or drainage, in order to maintain a relatively safe ratio of chlorine to water for swimming purposes. Such prior devices, however, have not been entirely satisfactory. For example, some of them, although designed to operate automatically, have been extremely complicated, expensive, and difficult to repair; while the less expensive have been unreliable, or have required periodic manual regulation for satisfactory results. Moreover, most such prior devices are specifically designed for chlorinating pools of a given size, and are not readily adaptable to chlorinating differently sized pools.
Chemical dispensers known to the inventor are used to dispense chlorine or bromine into the water of pools, spas and hot tubs. These dispensers typically float on the surface of the water or sit on the bottom of the pool, spa or hot tub to dispense chemicals from solid tablets. However, these dispensers usually are single function items and do not perform a plurality of functions.
Therefore, there is a need for a chlorine dispenser for a swimming pool or spa that can perform a plurality of functions.